Jasper County school board members formally installed

The newest Jasper County school board members were busy during their initial regular meeting Nov. 19. They helped unanimously approve two items and elected the board’s chairman, vice chairman, secretary and chaplain.

First-time board members Tedd Moyd (District 8), Bennie Hazel (District 2) and Debora Butler (District 6) were elected as write-in candidates. Randy Horton (District 4) was re-elected. They were formally installed at the meeting and welcomed by Sen. Clementa Pinckney.

“You have all been elected and re-elected to a very important office of service,” Pinckney said. “Public service is a wonderful service, but also a thankless job. I ask that you keep in mind why your neighbors elected each of you, and that is to serve the greater good. Keep in mind all of our students who may come from houses on hills, who may live in houses that may be on the bottom of hills; rich, poor, black, white, Hispanic and Asian. I ask you to continue and work hard for them.”

Pinckney urged the board to work together.

“When you feel very strongly about an issue because you think you are absolutely right…, (I ask) you think what is in in the best interest of all of our children,” Pinckney said. “The most important infrastructure in any county is education and you are the trustees of that promise to great public education.”

“I’m certain you came on this board to make a difference for our children,” Superintendent Vashti Washington said.

Berty Riley, a board member for 14 years, was unanimously voted as chairman. Priscilla Fraser (vice chair), Butler (secretary) and Moyd (chaplain) were unanimously elected to their positions.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to ask Congress not to move forward with across-the-board budget cuts.

According to the state department of education’s Jay Ragley, federal funding for education could be cut between 7.8 percent and 12 percent. In the state, it could mean a reduction of between 0.8 percent and 1.3 percent in available funds.

Title programs will be largely affected. The school district received about $1.5 million in Title I funds in 2011.

The rigorous Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) course was approved. AVID curriculum, funded through the School Climate Grant, will be taught at Ridgeland-Hardeeville High and will be implemented in January and August.

The course targets students in the academic middle who wish to go to college and aims to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges.

According to Christy Thompson, executive director of secondary schools, the program develops students as readers and writers and gives them support.